Brine making and dispensing device



Oct. 16, 1962 RUDELICK BRINE MAKING AND DISPENSING DEVICE Original FiledOct. 30, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct' 15, 1962 J. RuDELlcK 3,058,816

BRINE MAKING AND DISPENSING DEVICE Original Filed Oct. 30, 1958 3Sheets-Sheet 3 g 58' l\ l N l\\\ 4'3/ as g/j 542 jj x y" United StatesPatent O 3,058,816 ERBE MAKNG AND DISPENSNG DEVICE John Rudelick,Milwaukee, Wis., assigner to Bruner Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., acorporation of Wisconsin Continuation of application Ser. No. 770,794,Oct. 30, 1958. This appiication Oct. 26, 1960, Ser. No. 66,379 2 Claims.(Cl. 23-267) This application is a continuation of my co-pendingapplication Serial No. 770,794, filed October 30, 195 8, now abandoned,which relates to brine making and dispensing apparatus that may be usedfor regenerating the ion exchange material contained in a watersoftener. More particularly, this invention has reference to an improvedmethod of regenerating ion exchange material, and which is disclosed butnot claimed in my aforesaid co-pending application, and also to a brinemaking and dispensing device which is especially well suited for thepractice of that method in a water softening system.

The main component of any Water softening system comprises a tankcontaining ion exchange resin having an ainity for the hardnessproducing calcium and magnesium ions of hard water in preference to itsown sodium ions. Hence, when hard water is passed through a bed of suchion exchange material, an exchange is made between the calcium andmagnesium ions of the hard water and the sodium ions of the ion exchangematerial and softened water results.

As is Well known, however, the water softening capacity of the ionexchange material is limited, and after a period of use depending uponthe amount and hardness of the water treated thereby, the ion exchangeresin becomes saturated with calcium and magnesium ions and must beregenerated. This is effected by passing brine through the bed of ionexchange material to remove the calcium and magnesium ions it acquiredduring softening service and to replace them with sodium ions from thebrine regenerant.

The regeneration of the base or ion exchange material of water softenersis effected in various ways. Most commonly, in so-called low cost watersoftening systems, regeneration is carried out manually. lt involvescharging a quantity of salt directly into the top of the tank containingthe ion exchange material and the manipulation of valves to route freshwater into the top of the tank and carry salt in solution with itthrough the ion exchange material, and to direct the resulting efuent toa drain or sewer.

More costly water softening systems usually employ a tank separate fromthe softener tank in which a substantial supply of salt may be storedand in which the brine is formed to be transferred to the softener tankeither by semi-automatic or fully automatic control instrumentalitiesgoverning regeneration. Nearly all of these systems having separatebrine tanks employ an injector in a fresh water line leading to thewater softening tank to effect eduction of brine from the brine tank andthe delivery of such brine, diluted by water, to the water softeningtank. While injectors of the type described operate satisfactorily whenthe pressure of water from the hard water source is sufficiently high,it is a well-known fact that regenerating systems employing suchinjectors fail to accomplish their intended purpose in cases where thepressure of source water falls below a predetermined minimum.

The present invention has as its objectives to provide an improved andfar more efficacious method of regenerating the ion exchange material ofwater softeners, and to also provide an exceptionally simple brinemaking and dispensing device which is especially useful for the practiceof said method.

More specifically, it is the purpose of this invention to 3,058,816Patented Oct. 16, 1962 ice 2 provide a brine making and dispensingdevice which enables brine in an undiluted or concentrated condition ytobe delivered to the top of a water softener tank for downow passagetherethrough so as to much more eiiicaciously effect regeneration of theion exchange material in the softener tank, substantially without regardfor the pressure of the hard water source.

Another important object of this invention resides in the provision of abrine making and dispensing device of the character described featuringmeans for holding a sub-l stantial supply of salt in a dry conditionwith only a small part of such salt at the bottom of the supply thereofimmersed in water to form brine.

Still another purpose of this invention resides in the provision of abrine making and dispensing device wherein brine to be dispensed isstored in and completely fills a substantially closed tank, and brine isexpelled from the lower portion of said tank as a consequence of theadmission of fresh water into the upper portion of the brine storagetank in a controlled manner which avoids dilution of the brine by theincoming water.

A further object of this invention is to provide a brine making anddispensing device of the character described wherein the brine is formedin a vessel above but normally communicating with the brine storage tankand wherein natural circulation induced by the difference in specificgravity between brine being produced in the vessel and water in thebrine storage tank therebeneath is relied upon to eect descent of brinefrom the vessel to .the storage tank and the consequent displacement ofwater from the storage tank into the vessel thereabove` Such naturalcirculation, of course, is relied upon `to increase the salinity of thesolution in the device to the saturation point, so that after a periodof time, both the vessel and the storage tank will contain concentratedbrine.

Another object of this invention is to provide a brine making anddispensing device of the character described wherein communicationbetween the brine making vessel and the brine storage tank is governedby a hydraulically operated valve that normally communicates the vesseland tank, but which is actuated to a position blocking suchcommunication as a consequence of the admittance lof fresh water intothe storage tank for the expulsion of brine therefrom.

Still another object of this invention resides in the provision of abrine making and dispensing device of the character described whereinthe brine storage tank has an outlet, for concentrated brine, comprisinga tube having its mouth inside the storage tank, said tube beingadjustable to a number of positions at which the mouth of the tube isdisposed different distances above the bottom of the storage tank tothereby enable the amount of brine expelled from the tank by thedelivery of fresh water into the upper portion of the tank to be varied.

With the above and other objects in View which will appear as thedescription proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction,combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafterdescribed and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it beingunderstood that such changes in the precise embodiment of thehereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of theclaims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one complete example of thephysical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the bestmode so far devised for the practical application of the principlesthereof, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational View of a water softening systemincorporating the brine making and dispensing device of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the position itoccupies during normal softenng service of the system;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 but illustrating the brine valvein its regenerating position;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view through the brine valve;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged detail View, taken on the plane of the line 6 6of FIGURE 4, and showing the means for adjusting the amount of brine tobe dispensed; and

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken through FIGURE 6 on the plane of theline 7-7.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, in whichlike reference characters have been applied to like parts throughout theseveral views, the numeral 10 generally designates a Water softener tankof a more or less conventional type, containing a bed of ion exchangeresin (not shown) and having a port 11 near its top and a port -12 nearits bottom. A control valve generally designated :14, having a manuallyoperable rotatable valve element 15, governs the operation of the watersoftener. In the service position of the valve shown by dotted lines inIFIGURE l, hard water from a source thereofV is led into the body of thecontrol valve through a duct 16 'and is directed by the valve into aduct l17 which connects with the port 12 at the bottom portion of thesoftener tank. During normal or softening operation, therefore, the port12 constitutes the inlet through which hard water is admitted into thetank; Such water passes upwardly in the tank and through the bed of ionexchange material therein, and issues as soft Water from the port 111 atthe upper portion of the tank. Consequently, during normal operation,the port 151 constitutes the outlet of the softener tank, and thesoftened water issuing therefrom is led into the body of the controlvalve 14 through a short duct 18, to be directed by the valve into theservice line -19 leading kto the various taps or faucets from whichsoftened water may be drawn.

Regeneration `of the ion exchange material in the softener tank, after aperiod of time depending upon the amount and hardness of the Waterpassed through the softener, is effected by treating the bed of ionexchange material with brine. This is accomplished by the brine makingand dispensing device 20 of this invention, as a consequence of rotationof the valve element of the control valve to its regenerating positionshown in FIG- URE 2. As will be brought out in greater detailhereinafter, actuation of the control valve to its regenerating positioneffects expulsion of concentrated brine through the outlet 21 of thebrine making and dispensing device and the delivery of such brine, via aduct 22, into the body of the control valve from whence it is directedby the valve element therein into the duct 18 leading to the port 11 inthe upper end portion of the softener tank. Ihe concentrated fbrine thusintroduced in the upper portion of the softener tank passes downwardlyin the softener tank, through the bed of ion exchange material therein,and the eluent discharges from the port 12 in the bottom of the tankinto the duct 17 to be directed by the control valve into a duct 24leading to a drain or sewer. It is important to note that a constant owdevice 25, of a type known as a Dole valve, is connected in the drainline 24 so as to automatically regulate the rate at which concentratedbrine flows through the water softener tank.

The brine making and dispensing device of this invention includes a tank27 in lwhich concentrated brine is stored for regenerating purposes.While the storage tank 27 may be of unitary construction, it has herebeen shown as formed partly by a portion of the cylindrical side wall 28of an upright cylindrical shell 29, and by spaced top and bottom walls30 and 31, respectively, extending across the interior of the shell nearthe bottom portion thereof and welded all around their peripheralportions to the side wall 28 of the shell. The construction of the brinestorage tank 27 is best illustrated in FIG- URES 3 and 4, Where it willbe noted that the top and bottom Walls 30 and 31, respectively, of thestorage tank are spherically surfaced and have their concave sidesopposing one another and thus facing the interior of the storage tank.

The brine storage tank 27 occupies only about onethird of the height ofthe shell 29, being located in the bottom portion thereof. The uppertwo-thirds of the shell 29 provides the side wall of a bin or receptaclein which a substantial quantity of salt in a dry form may be maintained.The bottom of the salt bin or receptacle is provided by a foraminoushorizontal wall 33 which extends entirely across the shell a shortdistance above the top Wall 30 of the brine storage tank. The wall 33 ispreferably removably mounted in the shell as by having its peripheralportion resting upon a ring 34 welded to the side wall 28 of the shell.

With the construction described, a substantial quantity of dry salt, inthe form of pellets or blocks, or even rock salt, may be loaded into thesalt bin or receptacle to rest upon the foraminous wall 33 at itsbottom.

As stated previously, the wall 33 is located a short distance above thetop :wall 30 of the brine storage tank, but it is important to note thatthe foraminous wall is also located a small distance beneath the levelof an overflow port 36 in the side wall 28 ofthe shell. The overflowport 36 is provided to predetermine and estab- [lish the level of liquidin the brine making and dispensing device, and to assure that only asmall body of salt in the bottomof the salt bin or receptacle will beimmersed in water to form brine.

yFrom the description thus far, it will be apparent that the top Wall 30of the brine storage tank, in cooperation with the side wall 28 of theshell and specifically that portion .thereof which extends from the topwall 30 of the storage tank to the overflow port 36,'denes a vessel 38in which liquid may be contained to a level correspending to that of theoverflow port 36, or slightly above the foraminous wall 33. The liquidoriginally charged into the brine making and dispensing device, ofcourse, is water, and consequently water in the vessel 38 will dissolvesalt occupying the space immediately above the wall 33 to form brine.The vessel 38, therefore, can be considered the brine making vessel.

The brine making vessel 38 and the brine storage tank 27 are normallycommunicated with one another by means of a brine valve, generallydesignated 39, mounted in the center of the top wall 30 of the brinestorage tank. The brine valve 39 has a substantially tubular body of twodifferent diameters, the larger upper portion 40 thereof projecting intothe interior of the brine making vessel 38 and the smaller lower portion41 of the body projecting downwardly into the brine storage tank from anapertured inwardly projecting ring 42 formed on the bottom of the upperbody portion 40. The apertures 43 in the ring, provide ports by whichthe interior of `the storage tank 27 is normally communicated with theinterior of the brine making vessel through the open upper end portionof the valve body. v

Communication between the brine making vessel and the brine storage tanktherebeneath is controlled by a piston 44V received in the interior ofthe brine valve for up-anddown motion, and having `O-rings 45 confinedin circumfferential grooves near its opposite ends to slidingly andsealingly engage the interior of the valve body. A compression spring 46acts on the piston in a downward direction to yieldingly hold it in anormal position within the lower body portion y41, engaging a shoulder47 in the interior of the valve body, at -which position the pistonestablishes communication between the interior of the brine makingvessel 3S and the interior of the brine storage tank 27.

The piston is movable upwardly against the bias of its spring I46 to aposition closing olf communication between the brine making vessel andthe brine storage tank, and to establish communication between the spacein the lower body portion of the brine valve, beneath the piston, andthe interior of the brine storage tank. In order to guide such upwardmotion of the piston, a bushing 48 is coniined in the upper body portionof the valve with the lower end of its wall seating endwise upon andaligning with the wall of the lower body portion 41 of the valve. Theupper portion of the bushing has an external ange 49 thereon which tsthe interior of the upper body portion 49 of the valve and holds thebushing coaxial with the valve body, with the bore of the bushingforming a substantially uninterrupted upward continuation of the bore inthe lower body portion of the valve.

Although the bushing 48 seats endwise upon the lower body portion 41 ofthe brine valve, communication between the interiors of the brine makingvessel and the brine storage tank in the normal position of the piston44 is assured by reason of the provision of circumferentially spacednotches 50 in the lower end of the bushing, the notches `defining portswhich are auxiliary to the ports 43 and lie just above the top of thepiston.

The brine valve 39, when the piston thereof is in its normal positionshown in FIGURES 3 and 5, enables the brine storage tank 27 and thebrine making vessel 33 to be completely filled with water to the leveldetermined by the overow port 36 when the brine making and regeneratingdevice of this invention is iirst set up for operation. It also providesfor natural circulation of brine formed in the vessel 38 downwardlythrough the upper open end of the valve body and the ports 50 and 43 tothe interior of the brine storage tank 27, which circulation is inducedby the difference in specific gravity between brine formed in the vessel38 and water in both the vessel and the storage tank therebeneath.Consequently, the heavier brine descending through the brine valve intothe interior of the brine storage tank causes the lighter water in thestorage tank to be displaced upwardly through the ports 43 and 50 of thebrine valve and into the brine making vessel 38. As this naturalcirculation of the brine and fresh water continues, the brine solutionincreases in salinity until after a period of time both the brine makingvessel 33 and the brine storage tank 27 will be filled with concentratedbrine. course, the supply of dry salt in the bin or receptacle above thebrine ymaking vessel will settle slightly, until the salt solution orbrine in the device reaches the saturation point.

One of the features of the brine making and dispensing device of thisinvention is that the brine valve 39 is readily detachably secured inplace in the top wall of the brine storage tank, so as to not onlyfacilitate its installation but to make it possible to remove the valvefor service or replacement. For this purpose, an adapter ring 52 isfixed in a hole 53 in the center of the top wall 30, preferably beingwelded thereto. The adapter ring has an outwardly extending mountingange 54 on its upper end, spaced a slight distance above the top wall 30of the storage tank.

The larger diameter upper body portion of the brine valve is receivedwithin the adapter ring 52 and has a circumferential ange \55 lformed onits upper end, extending outwardly therefrom and seating upon the flange54 of the adapter ring. A combined retainer and spring seat member 56covers the ange 55 of the valve body, and screws 57 passing throughholes in the retainer and the flange 55 and threading into the mountingflange 54 of the adapter ring serve to removably secure the brine valvein place. Deformations 58 in the center of the retainer are directeddownwardly into the upper During this time, of

end of the spring 46, and cooperate with an upwardly opening well 59 inthe piston 44, in which the lower portion of the spring is received, tohold the spring coaxial with the piston. The retainer 56, of course,holds the bushing or piston guide 48 down onto the lower body portion ofthe valve, and it also has a plurality of apertures 60 therein groupedaround the spring seat deformations 58 and registering with the openupper end of the valve body to provide unrestricted communicationbetween the latter and the brine making vessel.

Three or more circumferentially equispaced lugs 58' are shown -struckupwardly from the retainer 56 to engage the underside of the foraminouswall 33, to thus lsupport the central portion thereof.

At its bottom, the Valve body is formed with ya reduced neck 61projecting downwardly from the lower body portion 41 and having theupper end of a water inlet tube 62, 4slidingly received therein, inliquid sealed relation with the linterior of the neck. For this latterpurpose .the upper end portion of the water inlet tube inside the neck61 has a circumferential deformity providing a groove 63 in which .anO-ring seal 64 is confined, the O-ring bearing resiliently against theinner surf-ace of the neck. The shoulder 47 which defines the normalposition of the piston 44 is located at the junc- .tion between thereduced neck 61 and the lower body portion of the brine valve.

With the construction described, fresh water from the source thereof,when delivered into the tube 62, is free to flow into the lower endportion of the brine valve and exert pressure on the bottom lof thepiston 44 of the valve to lift the same upwardly against the bias of itsspring 46, to a position such as seen in FIGURE 4, at which the top ofhe piston abuts the underside of the retainer 56 and closes off theauxiliary por-ts 50 from the brine making vessel, and the bottom of thepiston uncovers the lower ends of a series of laxially extendingcircumferentially equispaced igrooves 65 in the inner wall surface ofthe lower body portion 41. The grooves 65 register with and open 4to theauxiliary port defining notches 50 in the bushing 48, y.so that when thepiston' is moved to i-ts upper limit yseen in FIGURE 4, it closes offthe brine storage tank from the brine making vessel above it, butenables fresh Water entering the lower part of the valve body to flowupwardly through the grooves 65 and out of lthe valve body through theports 50 and 43, to the interior of the brine ystorage tank.

Fresh water from lthe source thereof is delivered into the tube 62leading into the bottom of the brine valve 39 at :the dictation of thecontrol valve 14. Normally, the control valve blocks communicationbetween the hard water supply line 16 and a duct 72 leading to an inletport 73 in the center of the bottom wall 31 of the brine Stor-age tank.The duct 72 connects with the tube 62 and for this Ipurpose, an inlet-tting 74 is fixed in the port 73 and receives the lower end of theinlet tube and the end of the duct 72 remote from the control valve `14.

When the control valve is actuated to its regenerating position seen inFIGURE 2, however, it communicates the hard water supply line 16 withthe duct 72 so that fresh water from the ysource flows upwardly in theinlet tube 62 and into the interior of the brine valve 39 to raise thepiston 44 thereof to its regenerating position seen in FIGURE 4. Freshwater from .the source may then flow slowly into the top of the brinestorage tank, to thereby `cause concentrated brine in the tank to beexpelled therefrom through its outlet 21.

It is an important feature of this invention, however, that the `grooves65 through which the fresh water must ow to reach the interior of thebrine storage tank are relatively shallow to provide restrictedcommunication between the lower end of the valve body and what may betermed an expansion chamber in the upper body portion 40 of Ithe brinevalve, surrounding the auxiliary ports 50 and directly above the mainports 43. Consequently, fresh water enters the interior of the brinestorage tank, at its top, at la relatively slow rate so as to minimize'agitation of the concentrated brine ,therein and assure against suchturbulence as might cause admiX-ture-of the lfresh water with the brineand result in the dilution of the brine.

Obviously, the flow regulator 25 in the drain line 24, being connectedwith Ithe outlet 21 of the brine tank through .the .Water ysoftener tank10 and the duct 22, can `alone serve to place suicient back pressureupon the Ibrine tank so as 'to assure such entry of fresh water into thebrine tank 'at the desired slow rate a-nd velocity. This function isperformed by the flow regulator 25 without in anywise diminishing thepressure of water in the inlet chamber of the brine valve and whichpressure must be maintained at a high enough value -to insure proper4actuation of the piston 44 of the valve Ito its uppermost positionagainst the drag of its O-rings on the cylinder wall and the bias of itsspring 46.

The outlet 21 of the brine tank opens through a tubular fitting 76 fixedin the bottom Wall 31 of the brine storage tank, near one side of thetank, and comprises a tube 77 having a straight portion 78 fixed withina sleeve 79. The sleeve is freely rotatably mounted in a bu-shing 80,the bushing being received in the fitting 76 :and having a flange 81 atits outer end seating against a similar an-ge 82 on the lfitting toenable the bushing to be detachably :secured to the fitting by screws 83threaded into the flange on the iitting.Y

The tube 77 has a curved portion 84 within the brine storage tank, andthe extremity of this curved portion provides a mouth 85 through whichbrine is expelled from Vthe tank whenever fresh water is admitted intothe upper end of the tank in the manner described.

The sleeve 79, within which the straight portion 78 of the outlet tubeis received, projects outwardly of the bushing beyond its llange 81 toreceive an actuating knob'86, and it is keyed to the knob as at 87. A Cwasher 88 snapped into a groove in the outer end portion of the sleeve,at the front of the knob 86, cooperates with a circumferential ange 89projecting from the inner end of the sleeve, behind the bushing 80, tohold the sleeve against axial displacement with respect to the bushing.

Consequently, when the knob is rotated manually, the sleeve 79 and theoutlet tube 77 are rotated with it to Vadjust the position of the curvedportion 84 of the outlet tube within the brine storage tank.

In the position of adjustment shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the dischargetube is set for near maximum withdrawal of brine from the storage tankby reason of the fact that the curved end of the tube projectsdownwardly and inwardly toward the center of the tank, to have its mouth85 substantially close to the bottom wall 31 of the storage tank,adjacent to one side of the inlet tube 62. If the kno-b 86 is rotated inthe direction to move the curved inner end portion of the discharge tubeaway from the inlet tube 62, it will cause the mouth S of the dischargetube to be lifted away from the bottom wall 31 of the storage tank adistance depending upon the angle through which the knob is rotated.Consequently,if the knob is rotated through an angle constituting nearlyonehalf a complete revolution from its position seen in FIG- URES 3, 4and 6, the mouth of the discharge tube will be carried from itslowermost position of maximum brine withdrawal to a minimum position ofbrine withdrawal such as indicated in construction lines in FIGURE 4,with the mouth 85 of the tube near the top wall 30 of the brine storagetank.

Thus it will be seen that whenever the control valve is actuated to itsregenerating position seen in FIGURE 2, to admit fresh water into theupper end of the brine storage tank, an amount of brine will bedischarged though the outlet 21 of the storage tank depending upon theposition of the mouth 85 of the discharge tube with respect to the topand bottom walls of the tank. When fresh water accumulating in the upperportion of the storage tank,

above the concentrated brine therein, reaches the level of the mouth ofthe dischargeY tube, the withdrawal of 'brine will be terminatedV andonly fresh water will liow out of the 'brine storage tank and into thetop of the water softener'tank to effect slow downow rinsing or ilushingof brine from the ion exchange material in the tank.

The brine discharging from the outlet 21 of the brine storage tankenters an angle fitting 90 screwed into the outer end of the sleeve 79and lio-ws through the duct 22 leading to the control valve 14. The duct22 enters the body of the control valve at a location such that therotatable valve element 15 of the valve will communicate it with Vtheport 11 in the upper end of the softener tank only when the controlvalve has been actuated to its regenerating position seen in FIGURE 2.

The outlet 21 for the brine storage tank is preferably located near theside wall 28 of the shell containing the brine storage tank, and nearthe bottom thereof, in registry with an access hole 92 in the shellnormally closed by a snap-on cover 93. Hence, upon removal of the cover93, an opeator of the device may readily set or adjust the position ofthe brine discharge tube 77 within the brine storage tank, and theposition of adjustment thereof may be readily indicated by means of apointer 94 on the knob 86 and cooperating indicia 95 on the outer faceof the ange 81 of the bushing 80.

It will be appreciated, of course, that at least a portion of the duct22 adjacent to its connection with the outlet 21 may be made of exiblematerial so as to permit rotational adjustment of the brine dischargetube 77 in the manner described.

While the control valve 14 for effecting the desired routing of liquidduring normal softening -service and during regeneration of the watersoftener may be of any suitable type, it has here been shown more orless diagrammatically as a two-position rotatable spool valve such asforms the subject of my `co-pending application Serial No. 7,832, filedFebruary l0, 1960. It comprises a tubular body 95 having the rotatablevalve element 15 `freely rotatably received therein and preferablysealed at its ends with respect to the valve body. By way of example,the rotatable valve element may have a reduced stem p0rtion 97 withinthe Valve body, and three axially spaced oblique lands 98, 99 and 100formed thereon. These lands completely encircle the stem and while twoadjacent lands 98 and 99 are disposed at the same angle with respect tothe stem axis, the third land is disposed at an angle opposite to thatof the lands 98 and 99.

The valve body has three ports 24', 16', and 19 in its upper siderespectively communicating with the drain line 24, the hard water supplyline 16, and the service line 19. At its lower side, the body has aseries of four ports designated 17', 72', 22 and 18. The ports 17 and18' cornmunicate with the ducts 17 and 18 respectively leading to theports 12 and 11 in the softener tank; while the ports 72 and 22'communicate with the ducts 72 and 22 respectively leading to the waterinlet port 73 and the outlet ttng 90 on the brine storage tank 27.

In the normal or soft water position of the valve element 15 seen inFIGURE l, the land 98 thereon blocks communication between the drainport 24 and the port 17' while the land 99 establishes communicationbetween the port 17 and the port 16 through which hard water from thesource thereof enters the valve body. Consequently, hardwater ows intothe lower end of the softener tank through its port 12.

Similarly, the land 10i) establishes `communication between the serviceport 19 in the valve body and the port 18 which is connected with theVport 11 in the top portion of the softener tank. Hence, soft waterissuing from the top port 11 of the softener tank flows through thecontrol valve to the service line 19.

Note that the lands 99 and 100 cooperate with one another in the normalposition of the control valve to maintain the ports 72' and 22 in thevalve body clo-sed voff from the remaining ports in the body. In otherwords,

the brine storage tank 27 is completely isolated from the softener tankduring normal operation of the softener.

When the valve element is rotated in either direction through an angleof 180 to its regenerating position seen in FIGURE 2, it communicatesports 17 and 24 in the valve body to connect the port 12 at the bottomof the softener tank with the drain line 24; it communicates ports 16and 19 in the valve body to connect the water supply line 16 with theservice line to assure that hard Water will be available for usethroughout the entire regenerating land rinsing periods; it communicatesthe water supply port 16' with the port 72 so that fresh water may flowdown through the duct 72 and upwardly in the water inlet tube 62 in thebrine storage tank into the bottom of the brine valve therein to raisethe piston 44 of the valve to the regenerating or brine dischargingposition of the piston seen in FIGURE 4; and it also communicatescontrol valve ports 22 and 18' so that brine expelled from the storagetank 27 Iby the admission of fresh water into the top thereof will bedirected into the top port 13 of the water softener tank.

Thus, concentrated brine is fed into the upper end `of the softener tankto effect regeneration of the bed of ion exchange material in the tankby the downward passage of the brine therethrough. The eiuentdischarging from the port 12 in the lower end of the softener tank flowsthrough the control valve ports 17 and 24 `and is led to a drain orsewer through the drain line 24.

The ow regulator or Dole valve 2S in the drain line, however, provides arestriction, the size of which is automatically decreased in accordancewith an increase in the pressure of brine eiiiuent owing to drain, andit operates to assure a substantially slow uniform rate of flow of theconcentrated brine out of the brine tank and through the softener tankduring regeneration, and rinsing despite variations in the pressure ofwater from the hard water source.

During regeneration, the fresh w-ater slowly introduced into the upperportion of the brine storage tank, n the manner described previously,causes concentrated brine to be expelled from the storage tank in anamount depending upon the setting of the brine discharge tube 77, ormore particularly, upon the location of the mouth 85 of the dischargetube with respect to the bottom wall 31 of the storage tank. In thisrespect, it will be appreciated that since the fresh water is introducedinto the brine storage tank substantially without creating suchturbulence as might result in admixture thereof with the brine, thefresh water lwill stratify and accumulate in the upper portion of thebrine tank until its descending surface junction with the brine reachesthe mouth 85 of the brine discharge tube 77. Thereafter, the explusionof concentrated brine from the storage tank ceases, and only fresh waterflows out of the discharge tube 77 for delivery into the top of thewater softener tank, to initiate a downilow rinsing operation whichwould be extended over a period of time sufficient to assure completerinsing of brine from the ion exchange -material in the softener tank.

When rinsing is completed in the valve element of the control valve -14may be returned to its normal position seen in FIGURE 1, to restore thewater softening system to -upflow service operation.

Again referring to the brine making and dispensing device, it will beobserved that it will always function so that the amount of brinedispensed thereby will be replaced by an equal amount of fresh water.Consequently, once the level of liquid in the device has beenestablished, by the overflow port 36, the level will remain unchangedthereafter. In this respect, it will be appreciated that evaporation ofliquid from the brine making vessel is normally prevented by the supplyof dry salt in the salt bin or receptacle, and to further assure againstundesirable evaporation, the bin may be provided the manner described,

l@ with a cover like those usually employed to close the tops ofconventional brine tanks.

From the foregoing description, together with the accompanying drawings,it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this inventionprovides an improved method of regenerating ion exchange apparatusfeaturing downflow passage of concentrated brine through the ionexchange material lat a slow and controlled rate followed by downflowrinsing at the same rate; and also provides a simple but highly eicientbrine making and dispensing device which is particularly suited forpracticing said improved regenerating method, and which is not onlycapable of dispensing concentrated brine made from a supply of salt keptin a dry condition except for a small body of salt at the bottom of thesupply thereof, but which may also be readily adjusted for thedispensing of different predetermined amounts of concentrated brine as aconsequence of the admission of an equal amount of fresh water into thedevice.

What is claimed as my invention is:

1. A brine making and dispensing device, comprising the combination of:means providing a salt bin open at its top and having a bottom withnumerous small apertures which are distributed throughout the entirearea of the bottom; means providing an upwardly opening vessel to holdwater with the surface thereof at a predetermined level spaced above thebottom of the vessel; means providing a substantially closed storagetank which may be lled with water; means mounting said bin, vessel andtank in fixed relation to one another and at each of three differentelevations, with the vessel above the tank, the bin directly over thevessel, and the apertured bottom of the bin at a level slightly belowsaid -predetermined water level but spaced a distance above the bottomof the vessel, so that a small body of salt at the extreme bottom of asubstantially larger supply thereof in the bin will at all times beimmersed in water in the vessel to form brine which may freely anddirectly descend by gravity into the interior of the vessel through allthe apertures in the bottom of the bin to displace water in the Vesselupwardly through said apertures and into contact with salt in the bottomportion of the bin; means providing controllable communication betweenthe vessel and the tank so as to enable the tank to be connected withthe vessel for exchange of the contents thereof through naturalcirculation induced by the difference in specific gravity between brineproduced in the vessel and Water contained in the tank, whereby over aperiod of time the contents of both the vessel and tank will beconverted to concentrated brine, said last named means providing forblocking communication between the vessel and the tank; means providingfor the introduction of water under pressure into the top of said tank;and means providing an outlet from said tank through which concentratedbrine is forced as a consequence of the introduction of Water underpressure into the top of the tank at times when communication between itand the vessel is blocked.

2. In a brine making and dispensing device, the combination of claim 1,wherein said outlet of the storage tank comprises a tube having itsmouth inside the tank; and further characterized by the provision ofmeans movably mounting said tube on the tank to provide for adjustmentof the tube mouth upwardly and downwardly in the tank to enabledifferent quantities of concentrated brine to be expelled from the tankbefore water begins to flow into the tube mouth.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 577,068Quinn Feb. 16, 1897 1,745,563 Turner Feb. 4, 1930 1,794,765 Green Mar.3, 1931 1,960,936 Brody May 29, 1934 2,666,741 McMullen Jan. 19, 19542,754,261 Akeroyd July 10, 1956

1. A BRINE MAKING AND DISPENSING DEVICE, COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF:MEANS PROVIDING A SALT BIN OPEN AT ITS TOP AND HAVING A BOTTOM WITHNUMEROUS SMALL APERTURES WHICH ARE DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIREAREA OF THE BOTTOM; MEANS PROVIDING AN UPWARDLY OPENING VESSEL TO HOLDWATER WITH THE SURFACE THEREOF AT A PREDETERMINED LEVEL SPACED ABOVE THEBOTTOM OF THE VESSEL; MEANS PROVIDING A SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSED STORAGETANK WHICH MAY BE FILLED WITH WATER; MEANS MOUNTING SAID BIN, VESSEL ANDTANK IN FIXED RELATION TO ONE ANOTHER AND AT EACH OFNK, THREE DIFFERENTELVATIONS, WITH THE VESSEL ABOVE THE TANK, THE BIN DIRECTLY OVER THEVESSEL, AND THE APERTURED BOTTOM OF THE BIN AT A LEVEL SLIGHTLY BELOWSAID PREDETERMINED WATER LEVEL BUT SPACED A DISTANCE ABOVE THE BOTTOM OFTHE VESSEL, SO THAT A SMALL BODY OF SALT AT THE EXTREME BOTTOM OF ASUBSTANTIALLY LARGER SUPPLY THEREOF IN THE BIN WILL AT ALL TIMES BEIMMERSED IN WATER IN THE VESSEL TO FORM BRINE WHICH MAY FREELY ANDDIRECTLY DESCEND BY GRAVITY INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE VESSEL THROUGH ALLTHE APERTURES IN THE BOTTOM OF THE BIN TO DISPLACE WATER IN THE VESSELUPWARDLY THROUGH SAID APERTURES AND INTO CONTACT WITH SALT IN THE BOTTOMPORTION OF THE BIN; MEANS PROVIDING CONTROLLABLE COMMUNICATION BETWEENTHE VESSEL AND THE TANK SO AS TO ENABLE THE TANK TO BE CONNECTED WITHTHE VESSEL FOR EXCHANGE OF THE CONTENTS THEREOF THROUGH NATURALCIRCULATION FIG -01 INDUCED BY THE DIFFERENCE IN SPECIFIC GRAVITYBETWEEN BRINE PRODUCED IN THE VESSEL AND WATER CONTAINED IN THE TANK,WHEREBY OVER A PERIOD OF TIME THE CONTENTS OF BOTH THE VESSEL AND TANKWILL BE CONVERTED TO CONCENTRATED BRINE, SAID LAST NAMED MEANS PROVIDINGFOR BLOCKING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE VESSEL AND THE TANK; MEANSPROVIDING FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF WATER UNDER PRESSURE INTO THE TOP OFSAID TANK; AND MEANS PROVIDING AN OUTLET FROM SAID TANK THROUGH WHICHCONCENTRATED BRINE IS FORCED AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE INTRODUCTION OFWATER UNDER PRESSURE INTO THE TOP OF THE TANK AT TIMES WHENCOMMUNICATION BETWEEN IT AND THE VESSEL IS BLOCKED.